Long‐term conservation efforts at flyway scale can halt the population decline in a globally endangered migratory raptor

• DOI: 10.1111/acv.12917
• Publication Date: 2023-11-22T18:28:43Z
• Authors: S. Oppel; V. Dobrev; V. Arkumarev; V. Saravia‐Mullin; K. Bashmili; T. Bino; A. Bounas; A. Chardin; D. Dobrev; K. Duro; E. Kapsalis; E. Kret; M.‐P. Marchant; S. Nakev; N. Petrovski; H. Papaioannou; G. Popgeorgiev; L. Selgjekaj; T. Skartsi; A. Stamenov; S. Stoychev; M. Topi; D. Vavylis; M. Velevski; Z. Vorpsi; J. Weston; E. Xeka; X. Xherri; E. Yordanov; S. C. Nikolov
• Keywords: Flyway; Vulture; Population decline

Abstract Many threatened species require ongoing management, which is often funded through short project cycles. Evaluating whether the management effective in protecting a important to inform future investments. For migratory species, may affect only part of species' annual cycle, and reversing population decline challenging achieve demonstrate. Here, we evaluate conservation projects by European LIFE programme safeguard vulture achieved their major objective stabilizing target breeding population. Between 2012 2022, an international alliance organizations implemented multiple actions reduce poisoning, direct persecution, electrocution collision with power lines along Eastern Mediterranean flyway. We monitored territories Balkan globally endangered Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus between 2006 tracked 60 young birds GPS transmitters since 2010. used these data examine growth rate survival probability had increased implementation. The mean adult territorial 1.9% 2014 from 0.937 0.955, monthly wild juvenile 9.7% 0.833 0.914 2018. across Balkans 6.9% 0.939 before 2018 1.005 This indicates that has remained stable for past 5 years (2018–2022), but at size half (105 2022) than beginning time series (204 2006). caution flyway reinforcement are required ensure on can recover, show flyway‐scale collaboration have lasting benefits species.